Handcrews are the infantry of wildland firefighting forces. Crews of
18 - 20 men and women use hand tools such as pulaskis and shovels to cut
containment lines into the soil around a fire. Handcrews
eliminate hotspots, so new fires won't start, and monitor unburned areas
to make sure sparks don't jump the line and start new fires. Handcrews
also work to reduce fire risks by removing flammable vegetation from wildland
areas. These firefighters are in excellent physical condition. They may
spend 12 hours or more working on the fire perimeter. A typical work day
for a handcrew is filled with dirt, smoke, heat, and cold.

Engine Crews

Engine crews range in size from two to ten firefighters. They
work with specialized wildland fire engines that carry special equipment
to spray water and foam. Engine crews also perform a variety of other
wildland fire tasks:

Respond to reports of new wildfires and serve as initial attack forces.

Serve as holding forces on prescribed fires and wildfires to keep
the fire from crossing the established perimeter.

Use hand tools, water, and foam to put out fires and keep vegetation
and structures from burning.

Patrol forests and grasslands to look for signs of wildfire.

Promote fire prevention with campers and other national forest visitors.

Fire lookouts work
in remote towers where they watch for and report wildfires. They
use specialized
equipment to observe, plot, and report the locations of new fires.
Fire lookouts spend days, weeks, or months by themselves in some
of the wildest, most remote places in the country. Life is rustic
in a fire tower, but fire lookouts have provided an invaluable service
in wildfire management for 100 years. Read
more on lookouts.